I have been making this all my life! It just doesn’t get better than this! I promise! Tomato bredie (stew) has always been one of my favorites besides curries and it was always my job to make them for supper growing up as a child in South Africa. I used to love coming home from school and making my favorite tomato bredie or curry for supper! Serve simply with some fluffy white steamed rice.

Total Calories with 1.5 kg meat includes rice: 6,503

Serves: 6-8

The Malay exiles and slaves brought their traditional dishes with them to the Cape in South Africa which has contributed to the melting pot of South African cuisine. This Tomato Bredie is rich and spicy and remains one of my top favorites as it has stood the test of time!

NOTES:

Cuts of meat you may use are: Chump chops, best end or leg chops, knuckles, rib, neck or loin.Sheep tail fat is great if you can get it and will greatly increase the flavour. Remember fat makes delish!

You may replace tomatoes with same weight in own pureed tomatoes. Remember tomatoes have a lot of water so be careful in adding water!

Instead of mutton or lamb you may use stewing beef or chuck but it will not be as nice as this dish is best suited to mutton or lamb.

TIPS:

When cooking with fatty meats like sheep tail fat and fatty rib it is best to start off cooking your meat and onions in no more than a cup of water and topping up as needed until meats release their own fats and water evaporates so that you may then brown your meat and onions in these natural fats adding more flavour with the richness of colour.;)What I did as a child and still do today is I add a chopped potato or two to the pot right at the beginning of cooking (Adding the rest of the potatoes when the meat is halfway done) which will aid in the thickening of the gravy at the end of cooking time without the need for using flour – So you may choose which ever thickening method you prefer.

Personally I much prefer mutton for stews as it is far more flavorsome and holds up way better than lamb does during the long slow cooking process.

If you are using Mutton plan on a cooking time of 5 hours.

If you are using lamb – Cooking time will be 2 – 2.5 hours.

Do not rush the meat and keep it on a very low heat just simmering away and remember the higher your temperature the more meat shrinkage there will be and you will end up with less servings and flavor! So keep it on a very gentle long and slow heat.